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2008 Toyota Sequoia 4.7 SR5 4x4 Road Test

Peruse the automotive press these days, and you'll no doubt encounter

The new Sequoia is well worth considering if you need a big SUV. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

discussion about the high price of gasoline at the pumps. Automotive scribes can't get away from this hot topic, discussing issues like taxation, alternative fuels, and how the whole situation will affect technologies and the market. Fuel prices also have a pretty big impact on most peoples' lives, and will no doubt affect what sort of vehicle they'll purchase. Oil is sneaking up to the $120 a barrel mark, and gas no longer hovers at $3.00 per gal, but $3.50 per gal (as high as $4.00 per gal in California). This is a topic that won't quietly be heading off into the sunset any time soon.

What does this mean for large vehicles? Despite paying dearly at the pumps, there will always be a need for vehicles of hefty stature; there will always be gear to haul, people to transport and things to tow. Anything small experiences great difficulty accomplishing such tasks; you need big torque to tow those big loads, a big frame to seat eight people and their luggage. So, for the time well being these giant vehicles still need to exist, but then again the high volumes large SUVs previously sold in are most likely history.

Buyers have been affirming that speculation with their wallets, and automakers are seeing a palpable dip in demand for the large sized

The interior is practically the same as the Tundra, though this is no bad thing. It's built very well. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

members of their fleet. It will remain to be seen if this trend continues, and for how long. And while sales and production figures are cooling off, they won't disappear altogether. If anything, the competition within segments to rein in buyers is going to become hot, surely sparked by the completely redesigned Sequoia.

Even though the Sequoia looks like a Tundra pickup truck with a box draped over its rear quarters, there is much more to the new Sequoia. Sure, the Tundra provides the basic frame, much of the styling and the interior ahead of the B-pillars (or C-pillars when comparing it to the Tundra CrewMax), but it's really a very different vehicle once you're out on the road (I'll get to that in a minute). The Tundra's styling works well on the Sequoia too, letting the world know that it's out to bear the most difficult loads. It may not be pretty and elegant, but it certainly drives the point home.

The interior continues the Tundra theme. This is a good thing. Switchgear is logically laid out, and climate control knobs are big enough to operate with the heaviest winter gloves. We sampled an SR5 that was extremely well equipped considering that it's the base model,

Lots of space in the second and third rows; the final row folds via power operation. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

and that there are two other trim levels above it – Limited and Platinum. Standard equipment on the SR5 includes power-operated cloth-trimmed seats with a stain-resistant fabric coating, digital three-zone climate control, and 14 cup and bottle holders in total. Safety features include front, side and curtain airbags, plus four wheel discs with ABS. All American-market Sequoias feature rear-wheel drive as standard, with four-wheel drive being optional; it's a simple, part-time system out of the Tundra, which has 2-Hi, 4-Hi, and a low-range mode for tackling serious 4x4 trails. So, as you can see, the Sequoia SR5 has all the key features that most buyers want as standard. In fact, there aren't any options on the SR5 at all.

What sets the Sequoia's interior apart from its competitors is its level of fit and finish, not to mention refinement. Its cloth-trimmed seats are soft and comfortable, and while it doesn't feature any soft-touch plastics like its competitors, the panel gaps are extremely tight. The two-toned center console creates a more upscale appearance than some others in this segment too. On the whole, the Sequoia conveys an image of durability and solidity – two qualities that big SUV owners are sure to take comfort in.

Dimensionally, the Sequoia is huge. It's longer overall and boasts a lengthier wheelbase than the Tahoe/Yukon twins, Expedition and the Aspen/Durango, but it isn't as long

The Sequoia is nimble for being so large; front and rear parking sensors are standard. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

as the giant Suburban/Yukon XL or Expedition EL. This is a good thing if you've felt that a Tahoe simply couldn't accommodate your belongings, but a Suburban too big (and too expensive). Rear-seat passengers have plenty of room to stretch out, and even third-row passengers are treated to plenty of legroom. Expedition, Aspen/Durango, GMT 900s (Tahoe, etc.) will draw comparison, but most of them come up short. Additionally, outward visibility is terrific.

We keep gushing about the refinement of the Sequoia, but it really is the defining trait of this mega ute. While most buyers select their vehicles based on capability, the Sequoia is on a completely different playing field when it comes to refinement. Combined with an ultra-stiff body structure and frame, Toyota moved the new Sequoia to a completely independent rear suspension. It must have cost Toyota some serious coin to develop, but it was 100-percent worth it. You compare it to an Aspen or a GMT900 and there's no question which SUV rides better. It's even better than the Ford Expedition, which is also completely independent. On the open road it rides smoothly, soaking up the bumps better than any other

4.7-liter V8 is an exclusive to the SR5. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

full-size SUV. You hear just the faintest bit of tire slap, but otherwise it's like you're on a cloud of air. We drove the Sequoia on some of the nastiest washboard roads around, and it handled them wonderfully. There's no shimmy or shake, no creaks or rattles. It doesn't heave or sway, which is common amongst live axle vehicles found in this class. If you want the best ride in the segment, don't head for a Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade – buy this instead.

Our SR5 came with the 4.7-liter V8 that's been a mainstay in the Tundra and Sequoia lineup since their introductions. In the Sequoia it produces a bit more horsepower – 273 compared to 271 – and 314 lb-ft (313 lb-ft in the Tundra) of torque. It proved to be more than adequate during our test week. Press the throttle close to the floorboards and it emits a nice wail that could've been inspired by Toyota's entries in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

The 4.7 transfers its grunt to the road through a five-speed automatic transmission, so we expected the Sequoia to cruise a little more relaxed on the highway than if it suffered through a four-speed auto. While lower highway revs would have been nice, we'd hardly call 2,200 rpm frenetic. Even so, fuel mileage will cause the frown lines on your brow to deepen considerably; we averaged

An excellent overall package - it's way too good to not have on your list. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

15 mpg, despite a lot of highway driving. This shouldn't come as a surprise when piloting a huge vehicle with an ambitious curb weight and the aerodynamic profile of a barn (mind you, the new Sequoia is a much more aerodynamic barn). Surprisingly, the optional 5.7-liter V8 (381 horsepower, 401 lb-ft of torque) gets ever so slightly better fuel economy and a significant power boost over its lower displacement brother. It's mated to a six-speed automatic, which no doubt adds to its efficiency as the extra gear helps conserve fuel and spreads out the impressive zoot over more spaced out ratios. The 4.7-liter Sequoia can tow 7,500 pounds, up from last year's 6,200 pounds, while the 5.7 can tow a best-in-class rating of 9,100 pounds!

When we sat down and discussed the Sequoia we realized that aside from the fuel economy returns and some hard plastics where soft-touch surfaces would have been preferable, there was very little to dislike about the truck. As we mentioned, the Tundra pickup is a great starting point - the addition of the independent rear suspension and sound deadening equipment are welcome enhancements. It's a large vehicle that will have no trouble delivering on the demands people ask of it, but there's one last point upon which we didn't touch – the price. The Sequoia, for all it offers, starts at just $37,375, but it's up $4,215 from last year's model. The fact that the Sequoia is cheaper than all of its rivals bar the smaller, less powerful Durango, ought to.

Like I said; despite the fact that the full-size, 4x4-capable SUV segment on the whole is cooling down, the Sequoia is really going to heat things up.

Specification (Sequoia 4.7 SR5 4x4):

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